WATCH: Secret Service agents didn't know there was an armed man on the roof, Rowe says in hearing

Secret Service acting director Ronald Rowe spoke in a hearing Tuesday with FBI deputy director Paul Abbate on the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

Rowe said secret service agents did not know about the shooter until shots were fired.

“Neither the Secret Service counter-sniper teams nor members of the former president's security detail had any knowledge that there was a man on the roof of the AGR building with a firearm,” Rowe said. “It is my understanding those personnel were not aware the assailant had a firearm until they heard gunshots. Prior to that, they were operating with the knowledge that local law enforcement was working an issue of a suspicious individual prior to the shots being fired.”

Rowe then said he wanted to debunk the rumor that an agent had to wait for direction to use deadly force.

“The Secret Service counter sniper neutralized the assailant within seconds after the assailant fired his weapon,” Rowe said. “That counter sniper had full discretion to use deadly force to stop an attacker and did not need to seek authorization to fire. I am immensely proud of the selfless dedication of our employees to the mission.”

The joint hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Senate Judiciary Committee was the latest to examine what investigators have learned about the shooter who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign rally, as well as the security failures that preceded the deadly shooting.

Rowe, who since 2023 had been serving as deputy director of the Secret Service, was appointed acting director after Kimberly Cheatle’s resignation.

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